ROOD (O.E. rod, a stick, another form of " rod, O.E. rodd, possibly cognate with Lat. rudis, a staff)

This article appears in Volume V23, Page 697 of the Encyclopedia Britannica.

Encyclopedia Britannica - Main :: RON-SAC

ROOD (O.E. rod, a stick, another form of " rod, O.E. rodd, possibly cognate with Lat. rudis, a staff) , properly a rod or pole, and so used as the name of a surface measure of land. The rood varies locally but is generally taken as = 4o square rods, poles or perches; 4 roods=1 acre. The term was, however, particularly applied, in O.E., to a gallows or cross, especially to the Holy Cross on which Christ was crucified, the sense in which the word survives. A crucifix, often accompanied by figures of St John and the Virgin Mary, was usually placed in churches above the screen, hence known as " rood screen "
C
(see SCREEN), which divides the chancel or the choir from the

nave

NAVE

. The rood was carried either on a transverse beam, the " rood beam," or by a gallery, the " rood loft." Such a gallery was also used as a place from which to read portions of the service (see JvsE). It was reached by the " rood stair," a small winding stair or " vice." In English churches these stairs generally run up in a small turret in the

wall

WALL (O. Eng. weal, weall, Mid. Eng. wal, wane, adapted from Lat. vallum, rampart; the
original
- ORIGINAL
O. Eng. word for a wall was wag or tenth)
WALL, RICHARD (1694-1778)

at the west end of the chancel; often this also leads out on to the roof. On the continent of Europe they often lead out of the interior of the church and are enclosed with tracery, as at Rouen or Strassburg. " Rood stairs " remain in many English churches where the rood loft has been destroyed. A fine example of a rood loft is at Charlton-on-Otmoor, Oxfordshire. The screen might be separate from the rood beam or rood loft. The general construction of wooden screens is close panelling beneath, on which stands screen-

work

WORK

composed of slender turned balusters or regular wooden mullions, supporting tracery more or less rich with cornices, crestings, &c., and often painted in brilliant colours and gilded. The central tower of a church over the intersection of the

nave

NAVE

and chancel with the transepts is sometimes called the " rood tower "; an example is that at Notre Dame at Paris. In England rood lofts do not appear to have been introduced before the 14th century, and were not common till the 15th. The " roods " themselves were not
The simplest form is the " flat roof " consisting of

horizontal

HORIZONTAL

wood

joists laid from

wall

WALL (O. Eng. weal, weall, Mid. Eng. wal, wane, adapted from Lat. vallum, rampart; the
original
- ORIGINAL
O. Eng. word for a wall was wag or tenth)
WALL, RICHARD (1694-1778)

to wall as in floor construction. The roof must not be quite flat, for a slight fall is necessary in its upper surface to allow water to drain away into gutters placed at convenient points. The
i joists are covered with a waterproof material such as asphalt, 1 lead, zinc or copper, the three last materials being usually laid upon boarding, which stiffens the structure and forms a good surface to fix the weatherproof covering upon. Such roofs are not suitable for cold climates, for accumulations of snow might overburden the structure and would also cause the wet to penetrate through any small crevices and under flashings. With flat roofs the pressure exerted upon the supports is directly vertical.
" Lean-to," " shed," or " pent " roofs are practically developments of the flat roof, one end of the joists (which are now called " rafters ") being tipped up to form a decided slope, which enables slates, tiles, corrugated iron and other materials to be employed which cannot be used upon a " flat " roof.
Simple roofs in general use with a

double

slope are the " coupled rafter roofs," the rafters meeting at the highest point upon a

horizontal

HORIZONTAL

ridge

-piece which stiffens the framework and gives a level

ridge

-line. In some old roofs the rafters are connected without any intervening ridge-

plate

PLATE

, with the result that after
Forms of roof.

End of Article: ROOD (O.E. rod, a stick, another form of " rod, O.E. rodd, possibly cognate with Lat. rudis, a staff)

If you wish, you can link directly to this article.

<a href="http://jcsm.org/StudyCenter/Encyclopedia/RON_SAC/ROOD_OE_rod_a_stick_another_fo.html">
ROOD (O.E. rod, a stick, another form of " rod,...
</a>

(Previous)
RONTGEN, WILHELM KONRAD (1845 )

(Next)
ROOFS

JCSM was founded in 1997 and exists to help the community and bring people into a life-changing and productive relationship with Jesus Christ. JCSM offers over 200,000 free web pages, including its weekly inspirational emails that were sent continuously for over a decade.

Jesus Christ Saves Ministries
P.O. Box 9297
San Diego, CA 92169
1-888-887-0417 or Email